News

Vallejo man with air rifle and dead animals in custody for mental evaluation

(Vallejo) Times-Herald,

Posted:
06/13/2014 11:51:20 AM PDT

Updated:
06/13/2014 12:14:03 PM PDT

At about 8:45 a.m. Thursday, the Vallejo Police Department received a report of a bald Asian man in a black leather jacket and armed with an assault rifle with a bi-pod. The rifle was reported to be in the bed of a newer model Chevy pickup truck in the 100 block of Auburn Drive, a police department spokesman said.

A witness driving by told police the subject yelled something that led the witness to believe the man was preparing for a confrontation, Lt. Kenny Park said.

Vallejo Police officers had personal knowledge that this man is ex-military, so officers staged nearby, and due to the potential threat created by the rifle, police asked the California Highway Patrol for an air unit to fly over the residence and get a visual. To help sponsor a camper or to sign up, call CHP confirmed the subject appeared to have a long object resembling a rifle, laying in the truck bed.

SWAT officers saw the subject outside in front of his truck near the weapon and deployed a flash bang, and the man was taken into custody, police said.

Officers conducted a protective sweep of the residence and discovered dead animals inside the home.

The weapon turned out to be an Airsoft pellet rifle.

The department's community services, neighborhood law attorneys and code enforcement officials were summoned to the scene, the man was placed on a "5150" mental health evaluation hold, and the Airsoft rifles were taken into custody, Park said. ------ (c)2014 Times-Herald (Vallejo, Calif.) Visit Times-Herald (Vallejo, Calif.) at www.timesheraldonline.com